Why MediaTek Stands Behind Our Benchmarking Practices

AnandTech recently approached us and said they are writing an article that accuses MediaTek of cheating on benchmarking tests. We want to make it clear to everyone that MediaTek stands behind our benchmarking practices. We also think this is a good time to share our thoughts on industry benchmarking practices and be transparent about how MediaTek approaches benchmarking, which has always been a complex topic.

First, here is the statement that we shared with AnandTech in response to their story:

MediaTek follows accepted industry standards and is confident that benchmarking tests accurately represent the capabilities of our chipsets. We work closely with global device makers when it comes to testing and benchmarking devices powered by our chipsets, but ultimately brands have the flexibility to configure their own devices as they see fit. Many companies design devices to run on the highest possible performance levels when benchmarking tests are running in order to show the full capabilities of the chipset. This reveals what the upper end of performance capabilities are on any given chipset.

Of course, in real world scenarios there are a multitude of factors that will determine how chipsets perform. MediaTek’s chipsets are designed to optimize power and performance to provide the best user experience possible while maximizing battery life. If someone is running a compute-intensive program like a demanding game, the chipset will intelligently adapt to computing patterns to deliver sustained performance. This means that a user will see different levels of performance from different apps as the chipset dynamically manages the CPU, GPU and memory resources according to the power and performance that is required for a great user experience. Additionally, some brands have different types of modes turned on in different regions so device performance can vary based on regional market requirements.

We believe that showcasing the full capabilities of a chipset in benchmarking tests is in line with the practices of other companies and gives consumers an accurate picture of device performance.

Beyond this statement, we want to share some additional insights about benchmarking since this is an important conversation for the industry to have. As any tech-savvy consumer knows, benchmarking can be a helpful way to quantitatively measure the performance of a device. Of course, it can be a challenge to compare benchmarking scores when devices are built and optimized differently, which is one reason why device rankings often vary across different benchmarking platforms.

Just about every modern smartphone is designed to operate differently under different circumstances, meaning that devices are optimized to adjust for power and performance depending what applications are being run. MediaTek is known for our intelligent power savings innovations, which encompass a wide range of technologies that dynamically manage a device’s computing resources to provide a sustained user experience. This means that the device will only run full throttle (which eats up battery life) when it’s absolutely necessary for a good user experience. Our chipsets deliver a big power boost when the most demanding applications are being run so people can enjoy smoother gameplay and get the most out of the latest AI applications. On the other hand, our chipsets will operate in an ultra-power savings mode when you’re doing light tasks like checking email.

We pride ourselves on offering our customers design flexibility, so ultimately device makers have the final say about what types of optimizations they want to include in Android Package Kits (APKs). Many brands have agreed that consumers want to understand the full capabilities of a chipset for benchmarking tests. And while high performance is one benchmark, at the same time brands understand that battery life is one of consumers’ top factors in choosing a smartphone, so it’s critical to minimize power consumption whenever possible as well. Furthermore, certain brands sometimes give consumers in specific regions the option to enable advanced modes (like “sports mode” or “monster mode”) to maximize performance. These modes are switched off in other regions, so device performance can also vary based on regional market requirements.

We do find it interesting that AnandTech has called into question the benchmarking optimizations on MediaTek powered devices, when these types of configurations are widely practiced across the industry. If they were to review other devices, they would see, as we have, that our key competitor has chipsets that operate in the exact same way – what AnandTech has deemed cheating on device benchmarking tests.

As we mentioned above, we follow accepted industry benchmarking standards and are confident that the capabilities of our chipsets are being accurately represented in benchmark tests.

With nearly one in three mobile phones around the world powered by MediaTek, we’re enabling consumers around the globe to enjoy reliable connectivity, greater processing power and intelligent features like AI and smart imaging. We thank all of our customers, partners and fans for their support over the years, and look forward to continuing to drive features and consumer expectations forward for the next generation of mobile computing.